The Younger Years
by SophiaOfWolven
Summary: In which two young wizards have many arguments.


**AN: This is a one-shot. It was just an idea that came to me, if Fujimoto and Howl studdied magic together when younger. I dunno if I'll write more to it, as I have ideas, but depends on readers thoughts. First time writing Howl, so I hope his personality comes through along with Fujimoto's.**

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The pile of books in the large dorm was, unmistakable, large. They towered out of many people's reaches and all were worn and marked with paper for re-reading. Sat amongst the large piles, almost central in the room, were two young boys both sat reading on smaller piles of book. The first, with black hair to his chin that hinted blue in the light, was sat crossed legged on the books - a large leather bound book across his knees while his hands copied the movements described.

The second boy stood out greatly against the first, his fiery ginger hair growing past his shoulders in thick waves tied back in a black band, and he sat perched on his pile of books with his legs hanging down to reach the floor.

Both boys wore similar clothing although altered to suit their tastes. Shirts, trousers and polished black shoes were the standard uniform, but over this both boys wore a cover. One boy wore a black and silver jacket, sleeves hanging down as he balanced it on his shoulders, while the other a traditional cloak of deep blue which hung to his waist, clasped shut. The sleeves hung over his hands with extra material ending at his waist in design. The added material didn't seem to bother the boy, but the too long sleeves left him constantly pulling the material back to his elbows. "You won't perfect that spell on your own." Adjustment of the sleeves.

"I will. It's just more complicated than the other spells we learn."

The boy with red hair laughed and stood from his 'seat'. He walked to the window and opened it to allow air into the stuffy room. The breeze caused the two disk earrings in his eyes to clatter and some loose paper on a nearby desk to fall off. "Damn," he said running to collect the papers.

"Fujimoto, you should know what happens when wind is introduced to an area."

Fujimoto stomped down on one piece of paper while reaching for another. He glanced over his friend, smiling briefly. "Shut up. I couldn't take it anymore, it was so stuffy. And when we get a nice sea breeze as well."

The boy uncrossed his legs, and shut the book with a loud snap. "Yeah, but you still should have known. Now you've got to tidy up."

"Howl, half of the mess in the room is yours. So stop hinting when I leave one thing out I should clean the whole place."

Fujimoto jumped again, landing on another piece of paper while catching another in mid drop. Howl watched for a while, before standing and picking what looked like one of the final pieces of paper to be blown.

He read the scrawl on the paper, unmistakably Fujimoto's writing, before looking for Fujimoto himself. All that was see-able was his bottom as he reached under the desk for the last of the paper.

Trying to hold back laughter, Howl walked over to the desk to wait. "You have a go at me for trying advanced magic, when quite clearly you're trying some yourself? What is it? Something sea worthy?"

Fujimoto grumbled a response, and Howl saw he seemed to hit a sore spot on the matter. And Howl liked to challenge Fujimoto when it came to sore spots.

Howl stopped in front of Fujimoto, or well, his behind, the last paper still in his hand. "You should be more careful. You're always somehow losing things."

Crawling out and standing up, Fujimoto stared at Howl, a slight glare on his face. He took the paper from Howl, glanced at it, before walking back to the window to read it. The smile stayed on Howl's face, a smirk that the young girls from the town blushed at, and one showing his devious thoughts.

Howl walked over quickly, leaning over Fujimoto to read the paper and very well knowing he was entering Fujimoto's space. He hated that. Hated anyone getting to close to him without permission.

"Howl, back off."

"No, I want to read what you've being writing about. Is it good?"

He lent closer, moving one arm to lean on Fujimoto and his other to lean on the window ledge.

"It's interesting and stop getting closer."

"How interesting?" was the flat reply followed by, "and no."

Fujimoto started to shake in anger, his hair starting stand on end. Howl continued to smile, waiting slowly for the reaction. It didn't take long, as the moment Howl's breath touched Fujimoto's neck, he spun round and pushed Howl away and into one of the large pile of books. "I told you to back off!"

His cry was lost in the sound of the books falling, but he didn't care. It shut Howl up for a moment. He turned back to the window, flattening the now scrunched up paper, and returned to reading it.

Beneath the books, Howl casted a spell so the books started to lift of him and into a new and relatively smaller pile in the corner of the room. As soon as the last book was settled on the new pile he stood up and shook his jacket down. "Well, that was fun."

He rubbed his forehead where a small bruise was forming, and stood. Fujimoto didn't even bother to look at Howl, hoping that he would return to the too advance spell. He had his own work to wonder about.

Howl watched Fujimoto closely, before slowly walking back with more caution. "Maybe I could help you with your spell. Can't be that hard?"

Leaning against the wall instead of Fujimoto, Howl glanced at the sheets scattered in sight. Maybe he couldn't help, since Fujimoto was a year older yet stuck after so much writing. "Depends. If we can get sea water."

"Sea water, that's easy. You just go the sea."

Howl pushed off the wall, and leant on the window's edge to look out to the sea, grinning. "How's that a problem brain box?"

Fujimoto seemed to expect this, as he smiled beneath his long fringe. "Okay then, you try and get past our teacher so we can go."

"Ah."

"Yeah, ah."

Howl put a thinking face on, letting silence fall in the dorm - making Fujimoto smile more. It wasn't often something made Howl silent, except when he was reading. Or checking his appearance for the seventh time that morning. So vain. Yet stunning against Fujimoto's uncombed look.

Adjusting his sleeves again, Fujimoto shuffled the papers together and set them under a paper weight on the desk. Howl took this moment to glance back at his friend, smiling. If Howl was vain, Fujimoto was subtle. Or, as their teacher put it, Howl was a bird and Fujimoto a small fish.

Finally, Fujimoto turned around smiling. "I've had enough of studying for a while. I can wonder how to get sea water later, but first-"

Howl knew where this was going and made a dash for the door. Fujimoto knew what was going to happen, and so was already running for him before he had moved. They collided and collapsed into the smaller pile of books.

As the books toppled, one hitting Fujimoto on his head and another landing on Howl's face. The rest fell around them and scattered around the floor. "But first," Fujimoto continued, lifting the book off Howl's pouting face, "we clean this damn room."

He climbed of Howl, kneeling on the floor while he pulled his hair from the band and re-tied it back. Howl stared at him, finally sitting up and piling a few books together. "You know, you should keep your hair down. Looks better."

Fujimoto only gave this comment a glance, knowing he was properly right, but it wasn't practical. He climbed to his feet, bringing books with him and starting a new pile next to the other books. Feeling ignored, Howl only flicked his hands so that the books started to float and pile up themselves neatly.

With the added magic from a lazy Howl, the books were soon all neatly placed out the way and the room the cleanest it had being in a while. Although Howl's bed was still unmade, his few trinkets wonky on the wall and the two strange soft toys on their backs, looking rather sad. "It's comfier to get into at night."

Shaking his head, Fujimoto walked to his bed, different book in hand. Once settled onto the scarlet sheet and pillows, he opened the book and returned to reading in silence.

Howl, unsure on what to do, reach back for his book and sat on the floor - legs spread in front of him. He'd had enough of learning the hand movements. Hands stretched out correctly, Howl narrowed his eyes in concentration before muttering the words needed.

At first, nothing happened. But then.

A loud bang ran throughout the building, the floor's shaking from the noise. Suliman, from her quarters, looked up in shook. "Hoooowl!"

She shook her head at someone's outburst, hearing footsteps replace the ringing. She returned to her tea, choosing to ignore the worried look of the servants.

Above her, Fujimoto chased Howl down the corridor, hair singed slightly with smoke trailing after him. Howl grinned cheekily, face darkened from the smoke. "I didn't mean it, I swear!"

"Makes no difference, you did it!"

Pointing at a well placed broom, Fujimoto cast a spell that caused it to come to life and start hitting Howl for him.

Back in their room, the room was upturned - the books scattered in the room, desks tipped, and beds smoking. Howl's spell had gone horribly wrong, and Fujimoto wasn't going to stop chasing him until Howl for once took blame and put it right.

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_AN: I'll write a little on the character's. I see Fujimoto being older, well more then clearly when you view the respective films. I imagine Howl to be 13, and Fujimoto 14, and since we know what the child Howl looks like, I imagine Fujimoto carries the same apperance as I've written in my other fic involving him as a child. Which is very similar to his older apperance, which makes him look older. _

_I wrote their uniforms to be very similar to what they wear older. Shirts, trousers and black shoes. And of course, their cloak/jacket. I wrote them in the same style, different colours. Making them more wizard like. As you read, Howl's jacket is the same in style and wear, just black with silver trimmings and I see it having silver stars at the bottom. Fujimoto's is the same style, only with long sleeves, not cut off. And I wrote the sleeves being too long, which I see infulences him in the future to have the shorter sleeves. Midnight blue, since I see it very wizard-y, and also a good reflection of the ocean that you can see him already liking._

_Neither of them are tidy, just look at their castles. However, I imagine Fujimoto would be tidier of the two so gets annoyed at Howl for it. Fujimoto ties his hair back, to keep it from his face, but as Howl said, it suits him better down. Another infulence on the future Fujimoto. I have a theory in this placing about Calcifer and Granmamare which would be one story, or even the ending point if I wrote it. _


End file.
